Insidious Minds
by H.J. Decker
Summary: When an ill-established astrophysicist finds herself living across the road from an infamous consulting detective, worlds are unknowingly already entwined. Jasmine Hartshorn, an ostracized genius lacking gravely of social stabilization, is grappling with an affiliated haunting history to Sherlock Holmes's, an exclusively renown idiosyncratic man, latest investigation.


p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""You'll be going away for awhile."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Eyes./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""...someplace safe."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Eyes./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""No one will know who you are."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"So many pairs of eyes./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""You'll be protected."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" A waiter in a green velvet vest and brown leather loafers rounded the corner, a tray of steaming entrees upon his hand, the aroma lingering through the restaurant, fogging up the glass window and warming the crowded, noisy room. Voices of different accents and ethnicities and countries and stories intertwined with the silk scent and combined together to explore the surroundings. Long, heavy curtains hung gloriously from the high ceilings, with intricate designs in the color of gold traced throughout the sustainable material - several ballgowns could be made of the elegant and ample fabric if attempted./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" A balcony for no one but couples looked down on the restaurant in stupendous grandeur, complete with a shimmering gold railing across the dining area and a winding granite staircase connected at the left side. Grand arch windows provided a view of the snowy grounds outside, the willow trees swaying as Winter's harsh whisper fell over the world with benches blanketed in white beneath them and lamp posts glowing for security. With wonderful views on both sides of the balcony, the romance and spark of the evening could only diminish if self-implied, for nothing as lush in splendor could possibly destroy the absolutely wonderful dreams of majestic greatness./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"At each table in a pristine, polished glass vase was a single white rose, the petals fresh and healthy, classy and lively, enchanting./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""I don't want to go."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Sympathy./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""I'm fine, really."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Sympathy./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""...please."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"So much sympathy./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Don't make me go."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The sound of doors slamming and feet shuffling evolved immensely as she sat patiently. Her food hadn't arrived yet and she was left to survive on lemon water, despite the repulsive taste, and ponder cruel thoughts, reminisce on the darkness. Seated at a decent table in the center of the crowded room, she, on her lonesome, crossed and uncrossed her legs several times, tugging at her skirt and fidgeting in her blouse. Uncomfortable she was as she waited, as she waited for not only her food but for him. She was waiting for him to arrive, constantly and anxiously glancing at her wristwatch; the ticking was not only the time but also the haunting memories currently invading her brain as the lump in her throat grew./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" /span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Waiters weaved through the tables, swerving as chairs were pushed out and flamboyant hand gestures painted the atmosphere. They would stop to take orders, smiling gently to ensure a tip, and deliver meals to customers waiting. Under her lashes she watched: the men and women in green vests intelligently gliding through the routine that comes with their occupation. She was sure to watch them as they served, but also certain to never make eye contact with anyone, especially the workers./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""It's for the best."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Pain./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""After everything…"/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Pain./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""... it's what's needed to be done ..."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"So much pain./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""... to keep you safe."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The room quieted for a moment. Almost simultaneously everyone hushed, leaning over their tables, heads in their dishes. A stinging pinch radiated through her body as she imagined it: the silence and the scene before her eyes. She stood abruptly, breath taken away from her as she looked around the room in terror./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Everybody was limp, sitting lifelessly in plush chairs with dressing in their hair and sauce up their nostrils. It was almost like everyone was turned off, shut eerie silence slithered down her throat as she stepped toward the woman closest to her, goosebumps forming across her body. She merely touched the woman's hand when she was snapped back into reality, still sitting with no food before her./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The room was suddenly loud again. Champagne was being poured as a group of wealthy couples laughed in unison over a comment from one of the men. A young child whaled piercingly loud, the shrieks of the toddler blending with the rambling of the boy seated aside him. Knives were carving into plates while being used too roughly on steaks. The scuffing of heels on the marble floor./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The woman near her was chewing obnoxiously, smiling at something her husband had said. The woman wore diamonds in her ears and pearls around her neck and her midnight colored dress scooped to reveal quite a bit of chest. She was flush in the face, the silver barrette in her brunette hair accentuating her pink cheeks. She seemed completely normal, as though she wasn't, just seconds ago, buried in her own chicken Alfredo, drained of life. Everybody was miraculously revived and normal./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He was there. She knew he was there now./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""You can't make me."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Anger./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""I'm perfectly fine."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Anger./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""This is stupid."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"So much anger./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Stop."/span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The air felt thicker now that she realized. It was like she could feel him, wrapping his arms around her and tightening the grip until she choked. Everything was now moving in slow motion./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"She felt trapped. The walls were closing in on her and her breathing stopped. She tried to expand the room by pushing her arms against the walls, using all her strength to break free. Escape. Run. But to no avail. She was indeed trapped, though the room wasn't actually shrinking./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; height: 11pt; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"This was a mistake. The whole thing. She needed to get away. Her head twisted in dire need for an exit. She began wiping the red lipstick off with the back of her hand frantically. It was an awful, ugly color. Why would she chose it anyway? Did she think it would help her appearance? It was a mistake. With red smeared on the back of her hand she knelt down and removed her heels, clutching them in her hand before standing and turning to an exit. Before she could flee, the chilling grasp of a rough, masculine hand tightened around her skinny arm and she froze./span/p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /p  
p style="orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" **"Don't leave now, Jasmine. The fun has yet to begin."** /p


End file.
